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Narcos: The incredible life of Pablo Escobar

Narcos is back on Netflix, and fans of the show are preparing for a weekend binge. Narcos recounts the rise of Pablo Escobar from humble origins to the biggest drug dealer in the world. Historically informative but highly entertaining, Narcos is the perfect tonic for those mourning Mad Men and awaiting Game of Thrones Season 7. But are you wondering what all the fuss is about? Watch the first series (obviously) but also get in the know about the incredible story of Pablo Escobar.

Pablo Escobar came from humble origins

Born December 1, 1949 in the city of Rionegro, Colombia. His father was a peasant farmer, his mother an elementary school teacher. Not exactly a life headstart.

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Pablo Escobar started small but dreamt big

As a teenager Pablo Escobar stole tombstones and sold them to smugglers for resale. He expressed determination to be a millionaire by 22. Ambition burned from a young age.

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And kept busy

In the early Seventies Pablo Escobar worked as a thief and bodyguard. He also allegedly kidnapped and ransomed a Medellín executive for $100,000. Compared to his later earnings, this would be majorly small change.

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Initially he would personally fly shipments between Colombia and Panama to smuggle into the United States. Later Escobar had a whole fleet of aeroplanes and helicopters, including a Learjet.

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Rivals were killed

An early casualty was rival Medellín dealer Fabio Restrepo, most likely murdered by Escobar in 1975. The dead Restrepo's employees were informed that their new boss was Pablo Escobar. Nobody was given much choice in the matter.

Officials bribed

In 1976 Pablo Escobar was captured by Colombian authorities in possession of drugs. However he bribed the arresting officers and the case collapsed. This marked the beginning of a policy that endured throughout his reign: a paid cop turns a blind eye.

Police took silver or lead

Pablo Escobar's approach to authorities was known as "plata o plomo" (silver or lead). Those he couldn't bribe were killed. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of police officers were murdered on Escobar's orders simply for doing their job. Countless familes destroyed to help a rich man could grow even richer.

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Pablo Escobar's product weighed a lot

Over the Eighties the demand for cocaine skyrocketed. At its peak, Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel smuggled 15 tonnes of cocaine per day to the United States. That's approximately the weight of two African elephants.

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Pablo Escobar earned a lot of nicknames

Such was Escobar's fame that "The King of Cocaine" became more than just that. Escobar was also known as Don Pablo (Lord Pablo), El Padrino (The Godfather), El Patrón (The Boss), El Señor (The Lord), El Mágico (The Magician), El Pablito (little Pablo) and El Zar de la Cocaína (The Tsar of Cocaine). That's a lot of superlatives.

Business was good

How much does 15 tonnes of cocaine daily get you? A lot. During this halcyon period, the cartel was making $60 million per day. And they say crime doesn't pay.

Rats ate $2 billion of Pablo Escobar's profits each year

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Often storing his money in dirty, rundown warehouses, ten per cent of Escobar's yearly earnings were written off as spoilage due vermin and damp. That's $2 billion. $2 billion. He lost more each year than most people will ever own.

Pablo Escobar spent $2,500 a month on rubber bands

The cartel used them to tie together stacks of cash.

There's always a good use for them.

Pablo Escobar's influence was insane

Pablo Escobar was responsible for 80 per cent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. In the Eighties, four in five people snorting a line were snorting an Escobar line. He singled-handedly kept Wall Street trading.

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Pablo Escobar built his own paradise

Pablo Escobar owned 5,000 acres of land in the small Colombian town of Puerto Triunofo. The utopia was built as a holiday getaway and included a pool, a bullring and a zoo housing hippos, giraffes and elephants.

And his own jail

In 1991, Pablo Escobar agreed to surrender to the Columbian authorities. He was confined in a luxury prison, La Catedral, which he helped design. From La Catedral Escobar continued to run his operations, receive visitors, and enjoy a football pitch and barbecue pit. Columbian authorities were not allowed within 3 miles of the compound.

Pablo Escobar smuggled cocaine in plane tires

A pilot could reportedly earn as much as $500,000 depending on the amount he stashed. Another trick was soaking jeans in liquid cocaine and exporting them legally to the US, then extracting the cocaine on arrival. Very smart, Pablo.

Pablo Escobar once burned $2 million

When his family were hiding at a farm in the mountains surrounding Medellín, Escobar burned $2 million to save his daughter from the cold weather. Puts Dad buying you a new football into perspective.

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Pablo Escobar was responsible for more than 4,000 deaths

In total, Pablo Escobar is said to be responsible for approximately 4,000 deaths including a Colombian presidential candidate. But man, he was a great dad.

Yet a hero to many

Pablo Escobar was a hero to the poor of Medellín. He built many parks, hospitals, schools, churches, sports stadiums and frequently distributed money to the poor. He even provided housing to local communities to ensure nobody went homeless. To this day, many see Escobar as a Columbian Robin Hood.

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Pablo Escobar may have killed himself

Pablo Escobar was killed in a firefight with the Colombian police. The fatal bullet wound was right above his ear - the exact same place where Escobar told his brother he would shoot himself were he ever cornered. The truth will never be known.

Pablo Escobar is survived by his wife and two children

After Pablo's death in December 1993, his widow, Maria Victoria Henao, son, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, and daughter, Manuela Escobar Henao, fled the country in 1994, briefly staying in various countries as few governments accepted them. Eventually, Argentina granted them asylum and changed their identities for protection.

Narcos Seasons 1 and 2 are available now on Netflix. Escobar: Paradise Lost is out now in UK cinemas

Narcos' Wagner Moura says legalise all drugs

With the new series of Narcos now on Netflix, charting the last year of Pablo Escobar’s life, we talk to the man who plays him, Wagner Moura, about legalising drugs, disagreeing with Sean Penn, and the drug lord’s horrible taste in jumpers.